Twenty-six years ago at Suzuka, Biaggi overheard his fellow Italian talking about him in an interview and he shot back: "Wheꦿn y🐼ou talk about me, first rinse your mouth!”

Rossi’s iconic career includes chapters 🦋alongside several nemeses, but perhaps none were fiercer than Biaggi from the late-90s.

"Let's just saღy that Vale is not in the top five of tඣhose you exchange Christmas greetings with," Biaggi, now 51, said on Italian TV.

"But not in the to🍌p 50 either, but I'll put him there if necessary!&𝓰nbsp;

“We don't even ꦅgreet each other. It was really a rivalry🅷. Sure, it's over, but we were actually two factions. One against the other. It was good!

"As before, we lived in the moment of a great rivalry and it was obviou🤡sly epic, because it took 💙both him and me. 

“But once finished, each returned to his role. It's not that we have a social life orꦇ that we call each other on the phone.”

Biaggi won four 2🌱50cc world 🔴championships plus two World Superbikes titles.

He twice finished as a runner-up to a young Rossi who was beginning his MotoGP dominance.

Biaggi represented Aprilia, Honda, Suzuki and Ducati during his lengthy career - experiencing both manufacturers from Italy plusꦐ those frꦛom Japan, and he has watched their evolution since.

Ducati, after their 15-year barren spell that even Rossi could not solve, finally won a ꦺMotoGP championship last year through Francesco Bagnai🌺a.

Their superior machinery - and vast numbers on the grid - mean a Ducati rider is likely to become champion again this year, unless Fabio Quartararo or Marc 🍸Marquez can create some magic.

ꦓ“Pecco is the reigning world champion with Ducati, he will defend this title and I see him in good shape," Biaggi said. 

"He's stil🌠l the favourite. I hope Aprilia can fight for the championship with Ducati,ౠ until the end. 

“The Japanese, Yamahꦓa and Honda🎀, are fighting a bit more, but it would be nice to have a totally Italian derby.”